The Friday Update
Weekly News and Updates for the Fine Arts Faculty of PCSD
Choosing Joy
Please see my news today about ways we can continue with forward progress during these days.
**MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS FOR THE ARTS - At the end of the day, each of you teach and share the very things in life which make us human. I am going to make some suggestions in this newsletter about instruction in the coming weeks but mostly I just really want you to have your students use their art and their music as a way to express their feelings and have an outlet during this time of confinement. Of all the things going on right now to worry about, our content should NOT be stressful or painful. Please do not make it so unnecessarily.
Fine Arts Digital Learning
Please Make a Note of these Things
- DO NOT TAKE GRADES on new content over the course of this time. Your course offerings should be limited to 20 minutes and should be flexible. If you already have some things planned, go with that. You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
- Refer to the Digital Learning Days Information that is shared at your local school and is also attached below. There is a page for teachers and a page for students/parents. Please be sure to share with students/parents the correct form. (they look alike)
- You should have some more instruction at your local level about Canvas and how to access that if you have not yet done so already. For the most part, Canvas has been an expectation already in all of our schools, yet we are aware that there are some schools who use it more heavily than others but we have had it for 5 years now. This is your instructional platform for the time being.
- Canvas Details - you should be given time to watch the 17 minute Canvas refresh during your planning today. It is available also to watch as many times as you like on the intranet. If you have questions, email Jeff Harris at JHarris@paulding.k12.ga.us, Leslie Rogers at LRogers@paulding.k12.ga.us, or Jenna Barton at JBarton@paulding.k12.ga.us - YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS CANVAS SUPPORT 24/7
- Teleworking - you will be needing to consider the next couple of weeks to be "working" time. Please see the attached document about technology support for Teleworking. Email communications will be coming to your email and you will need to be able to check that daily.
Word on Cancelled Events, Trips, etc
What I Know So Far....
Any school related event, trip, concert, competition, etc. that falls during the window of the cancellation (for now until March 30) is completely cancelled. Do NOT have your students meet for any purpose whatsoever (no rehearsals on Saturdays or any suggested "meet ups" to hang with the group).
To reiterate and help answer some of the questions I keep getting:
- I don't know anything beyond this coming two weeks (we are out - focus on your own health and that of your family, focus on digital learning for your students, and stay tuned for updates) - DO NOT consider this a vacation and completely unplug. We will need to get information to you. If you don't normally check school email at home, that has to change for this upcoming time that we are out.
- If you have something scheduled (concert, event) the day or two after we are set to return, stay tuned. We won't know what all of this looks like until we go through it.
- If you have a trip scheduled for spring break - stay tuned. You need to work through your school administration/athletic director or whoever is over trips at your building level. They are working on all of these things.
- Questions regarding reimbursements, rescheduling, etc will have to wait until we know what we are looking at. Rescheduling will be difficult as we will be dealing with a condensed amount of time once we do return.
- Fine Arts Day WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULED. I am probably most stressed and sad about this as it IS the way I fund what we do. Your grants, your student scholarships, etc. Please take the time to help us choose our date for one year from now - we will need ALL HANDS ON DECK again as we will have gone one year with ZERO funds coming in. Go to this Doodle Poll to share your input on next year's date.
- Keep in mind that this is still a very fluid situation. As Of right now, we are cancelled-period until further notice. With the minimum of March 30 as return date. That is not to be assumed that a March 31 event would still be on and you can't assume it would be cancelled. FLEXIBILITY - We don’t know what we will be looking at in the next two weeks so I’m going to need you to repeat the same thing I’ve already said in the image below (it is also attached at the bottom and you are welcome to use it).
In Other News
Congrats - Heather Austin TOTY!
Definitely well-deserved!
Art Grants Available
https://ga.aaa.meemic.com/the-meemic-foundation/grant-opportunities/masterpieces-grant.aspx
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Drama and Musical Theatre Camps
Dallas Theater - https://dallastheaterga.com/drama-and-theatre-camp/
Summer Art Camps
Art Camps at PFAA - (there are 3 this summer) http://www.pauldingfinearts.org/summerartcamp.html
KSU Fine Arts Symposium
This is a new, annual Teacher PL opportunity for all GA K-12 Fine Arts Educators. It is a 2-Day event which will include disciplinary-specific and pedagogy-focused workshops in Art & Design, Dance, Music, and Theatre/Performance Studies, focusing on instructional technology, innovative curriculum, and professional industry practices.
KSU faculty experts and guest artists will teach the workshops on both the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses. Those details are still being formulated and more details will come.
Save the Date:
July 8 (2p.m.-8p.m.)
July 9 (9a.m.-4p.m.)
Cost:
$100
If you are interested, please send me an email and I will share the link. For some reason, the link they shared initially is not working.
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Katie O. Anderson
Email: KAnderson@paulding.k12.ga.us
Website: paulding.k12.ga.us/finearts
Location: 3236 Atlanta Highway, Dallas, GA, USA
Phone: 404-825-3982
Facebook: facebook.com/pcsdfinearts
Twitter: @katiepcsd